Glimpses of the past: May 12-18

The county board finished its May meeting this morning with a brief session.

The board approved highway aids to 20 townships and two villages totaling $74,495 and bridge aids of $17,300. The aids were recommended by the Highway Committee following requests from the various municipalities whose appropriations for local road improvement are matched by the county.

Per diem and mileage payments to county board members totaling $3,437.78 also were approved.

The Conservation Committee reported that 100,000 trees obtained last week from the state nursery near Wisconsin Rapids are now being planted in the county’s reforestation project in Suamico. Trees received this year are better than those obtained during the preceding two years, the committee said.

May 13, 1920

Fire, which broke out at 9:35 last night in the Royal Theater in the Hagerty Building directly south of the corner of Washington and Walnut streets, wrecked that motion picture house and caused damage to stock and fixtures in four retail business establishments in the one-story Hagerty Building, entailing a total damage estimated at $15,000 to $20,000.

The Royal Theater was filled with an audience of nearly 300 people when the fire started, but through the presence of mind of the manager, H.S. Hadfield, and individuals in the crowd the building was emptied quickly and without a casualty. At no time was there any danger of a panic in the theater, it was reported by persons who made up the audience.

May 14, 1938

From Arndt’s Cycle Shop “Motorcycle Headquarters,” at 1115 Main Street, Sunday afternoon will start the 14th Annual Hill Climb of the Green Bay Motorcycle Club. The thrill program of events will begin at 2 o’clock at the clubs grounds at Baird’s Creek and undoubtedly will repeat its success of other years in attracting many hundreds of spectators from several counties around Green Bay.

From a very simple beginning which was a program free to the public and the riders rewarded by prizes which the dealer presented, this Green Bay climb has grown to an event of statewide recognition.

May 15, 1963

An historic move for consolidation of schools at De Pere was initiated Tuesday night by the De Pere City Council.

By unanimous vote, aldermen approved a resolution calling upon the Brown County School Committee to supervise creation of a single city school system to replace existing Dist. No. 1, a city school system on the east side of the Fox River, and Joint Dist. No. 2, a common school district centered in West De Pere.

The resolution is based on a petition signed by eight aldermen and Mayor William Gross.

School Dist. No. 1 is comprised of East De Pere and the Towns of Bellevue, De Pere, Rockland, Glenmore, Morrison and Wrightstown. Common School Dist. No. 2 is made up of West De Pere, the Towns of Lawrence and Hobart in Brown County and the Town of Oneida in Outagamie County.

May 16, 1960

Provisional, active, associate and sustaining members of the Green Bay Service League and their guests were invited aboard the “S.L. Spring Line” Saturday evening in the Crystal Ballroom of the Hotel Northland. The ninth annual spring dancing party was planned especially to benefit the Green Bay Day Nursery, a Red Feather agency, which is sponsored by the Service League. All proceeds go toward the maintenance of the building, located at 715 Chicago Street.

May 17, 1950

That mysterious polluting substance which annually takes its toll in dead fish in the bay after a storm was back again this week with a vengeance.

Between 40,000 and 45,000 pounds of fish, 90 percent perch, were netted dead last week between Snake Island and the Peshtigo Reef Light, about 40 miles from Green Bay, a group of Green Bay commercial fishermen reported to the Isaak Walton League.

The weight of the fish ripped nets, ruined $1,500 worth of white fish gear. Only corks and lead weights were salvaged.

Once the weave in the nets failed to hold them, the more than 40,000 pounds of fish went to the bottom. It was speculated that the fish would eventually come to the top and float onto the shores of Sand Bay and Riley’s Point, near Sturgeon Bay.

May 18, 1954

Helen O’Connell and Tommy Bartlett will act as co-masters of ceremonies on the “Celebrity Parade for Cerebral Palsy.” The 17-hour television marathon, featuring top celebrities from Broadway and Hollywood, plus dozens of Wisconsin’s best variety acts, will be broadcast over WBAY-TV and WBAY radio, beginning at 10 o’clock Saturday night, May 22, and continuing through the night until 3 o’clock Sunday afternoon, May 23.

Seventy-five percent of all monies raised will remain in the community, to be used to create, maintain and staff treatment facilities in the community. Twenty-five percent will be sent to the national United Cerebral Palsy Association, to be used in research programs and training programs for doctors and therapists.

Originating from the auditorium of the Central Catholic High School in Green Bay, facilities have been made to seat an audience of 2,000 spectators.